Just As Valuable
by kimberlyjoy
Summary: AU A sneakier and less content Bulma finds and uses the Dragonballs to prove herself to her friends.
1. The Last Straw

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters.

CH.1 THE LAST STRAW

"Walk back then," Yamcha said.

"Fine I will," Bulma fumed.

She wouldn't have to walk if she could fly. She wouldn't be left out if she had powers and could fight. All they used her for was her brains. Then when they were finished with her and had used what she offered she was left behind for her own good.

Before she had been content with thehand she had been dealt. This, however, was the last straw.

High above the ground in a Capsule Hover Copter she pushed her filthy hair out of her eyes. She scanned the ground. She had never gone this long with out taking only the best care of herself.

She clicked her Dragon Radar. Six gleaming Dragonballs were stored away in the cargo hold. It had taken all her whiles and many of her custom made Capsules to obtain them. This would be the first time she would be searching for them all on her own.

Now with only one left she was that much closer to her goals. She wasn't far from the last Dragonball. The signal seemed to be coming from the forest below her.

When the last of the three wishes were used the Dragonballs became stone and flew all over the globe, explosively. She figured if it landed in the forest it would be buried. Maybe in the ground or in a tree. She had the equipment. If it was the only thing she had to deal with, with this one, she would be lucky.

Landing carefully between the trees, as close as she would get, she sat behind the control handle and centered herself. She found it easier, lately, to go into dangerous situations with a clear mind.

Climbing out of the Hover Copter, with nothing but the radar and a stun gun she tracked down the last Dragonball.

She was right: a tree.

The Dragonball had almost completely buried itself in the trunk of a gigantic tree. She was going to need a laser cutter for this. She was happy she had no giant birds or dinosaurs or giant sea creatures to contend with.

Returning a few minutes later to the tree with equipment, she carefully cut the Dragonball from the tree. She knew the Dragonballs were all but indestructible, but she wasn't taking any chances. Stowing her precious cargo carefully shegot behind the control handle, and for the first time in a long time, sighs and relaxes.

No one knew she was searching for the Dragonballs. If she had to she would take them to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. That way the sky would turn black in there and no one would know.

Suddenly feeling exhausted she exited her Capsule Copter. Pushing a button on the side near the cockpit door, a puff of smoke appeared and the Hover Copter disappeared. All that was left was a little capsule.

She picked it up and slid it into a specially made belt for the Capsules. Choosing another she clicked it and tossed it onto the ground. An identical puff of smoke appeared and in its place an entire house stood. It wasn't one of Capsule Corps latest but it was one of its greatest. An entire house with all the amenities. She had it fully stocked with anything she could possibly want to drink or eat in their own capsules inside the cupboards. She hadn't known how long this would take.

Being a certified genius meant preparing for every eventuality or possibility and knowing how to.

She entered her house, locked the door behind her and threw herself on the bed. She had what she needed now.


	2. Poor Man's Bulma

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or its characters

CH.2 POOR MAN'S BULMA

Completely rested, fed and quenched, Bulma headed back home in her Hove Copter. It was the fastest means of transportation she had. If she used the wishes wisely she wouldn't need it much longer.

As Bulma flew something inside her started to bother her.

Maybe she was overreacting.

Maybe she was taking her treatment too far and letting it bother her.

She thought back on her life with the Z fighters. It seemed like every time she invented something it was flying away from her. How many times had she been left behind because they didn't want her getting hurt? All of these times were too many to count. Something told her she should wait.

It was bad enough that androids were coming to destroy everyone on Chikyuu, maybe she could help this time. At least her best friend had returned alive. Unfortunately the lavender haired stranger had predicted Goku's death by heart virus.

Goku was right. It was a waste.

Bulma steeled herself. At the very least she would do this to help Goku. But when would she do it? How long would she wait. She knew the moment would come soon.

Finally returning home she Capsulated her Hover Copter including all its contents she entered her home for the first time in a week. Passing by a full length mirror she stops with a jerk. The person in the mirror wasn't even recognizable as Bulma Briefs: heiress to the Capsule Corp fortune and socialite extraordinaire.

Panicked she runs for the stairs, passing Vegeta in the kitchen feeding his face (who wrinkles his nose from the smell) and into her room where she promptly strips and jumps into her sunken Jacuzzi tub.

In the end she took two baths. One to rid herself of the reek, the other to soak away the aches that had developed mysteriously since this morning.

Wearing only a fuzzy terry robe she lay on a proper bed just enjoying the feel of her satin sheets. Her hair had since been blown dry and styled simply but tastefully. Simple enough to run a comb through when she got up.

_I haven't seen Yamcha in a week. He's probably been looking for me. Ill surprise him_, she thought. Smiling at the idea of a happy reunion she jumped out of bed and put on one or her prettiest dresses and applied her makeup with artistic skill. Placing expensive but sensible shoes on her feet, in case she had to walk around to find him. She had an idea where he could be though.

Her departure was only noticed by Vegeta who was now meditating in the GR. He _almost_ felt pity for her. If she knew what he'd known for the past week, she wouldn't be looking for the slimy weakling.

Parking her car in the lot of Yamcha's apartment complex she scampered up the stairs to his door. Without knocking or ringing the bell she opened the door with the key Yamcha had given her years ago when he first got the apartment.

Opening the door she knew, instantly, that something was wrong. There was a scent hanging in the air that she couldn't quite place. Bulma being a virgin, couldn't have. It was the smell of sex.

Moving slowly to Yamcha's bedroom she turns the doorknob silently and pushes the door open with a strong swing of her arm. There lay Yamcha and a blue haired woman, who looked uncomfortably like herself, in post coital bliss.

Running through his bedroom to his adjoining master bathroom she vomits into the toilet with enough noise to wake both the sleeping parties.

"What the …..?" Yamcha says jumping out of bed. Still naked and smelling of sex, he investigates the bathroom to find Bulma kneeling on the floor vomiting into his toilet. Realizing what she must have seen he goes pale.

He had never meant for her to know. If she were to know he wouldn't want it like this.

He drops to his knees next to her. He tentatively put his hand on her shoulders. Repulsed she swung her arm around knocking Yamcha over on his side.

"Don't touch me you cheating bastard," Bulma shouted.

Outside the bathroom Bulma heard a sleepy voice. "Yami, what's going on?"

"Yami?" Bulma stands up and steps over Yamcha into the bedroom to look at the girl in his bed. She realized they could have been sisters; they looked that alike.

From behind her Yamcha walks out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He walks past her and sits on the foot of his head with his head in his hands.

"So you replace me with that?" Bulma asked indicating toward the bed.

"What did you expect, Bulma? You weren't putting out," Yamcha said in a weary voice.

"I wasn't 'putting out' because I was saving my virginity for someone worth waiting for. You weren't worth it apparently."

Yamcha's head snapped up and pinned her with an angry glare.

"No, no, Yamcha, its alright," she said in mock placation. "You can keep your Poor Mans Bulma."

Without another word Bulma dropped the key she had still been holding and walked out the front door without bothering to close it.


	3. Beneath My Notice

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or its characters

CH.3 BENEATH MY NOTICE

Stopping her car amidst a cloud of dust, she sat behind the steering wheel feeling numb. It seems that she was easy to replace. They can have it their way.

That wasn't fair. It wasn't everyone's fault that Yamcha had cheated on her. She hadn't even seen anyone since she had gotten back. Well, except Vegeta.

Getting out of her car she practically drug her feet into the house she shared with her parents and Vegeta. The sun was getting pretty low in the sky. Before going inside she noticed the purples, reds, and oranges.

The house was full of shadows as she walked through the living room into the dining room. Tossing her purse and keys onto the table she tossed herself into a chair and rested her chin on her hand.

"So did you finally get rid of that loser?" she heard a voice she recognized as Vegeta's coming from a shadow filled corner.

"You knew didn't you?"

He only nodded enough for her to see that he had.

"Why didn't you say something?"

"Because I couldn't care less about you or your idiotic weakling mate."

"He's not my mate. He never was." she said quietly.

From his dark corner she say him look up at her with a look of surprise. As soon as it appeared it was gone again. It happened so fast she could have imagined it.

"The GR needs repairs again, Woman. I suggest you turn your attention to more important things."

She almost got the impression that he was trying to help in his own way, but it none the less got her back up.

"Well I guess I'd better jump on that right away." she said sarcastically. " That is after I eat."

"Then perhaps you should make something edible for myself, also, then." He started to walk past her then stopped and leant near her ear. "But don't take too long," he said menacingly. It sent a chill down her spine into her core. If he was trying to scare her he'd failed. Somehow he had only excited her.

She didn't move from her seat until she heard his footfalls disappear. She got up to open the 'fridge but ended up just standing in front of it staring at its lack of contents.

Snatching a Chinese takeout/delivery menu from its permanent place on the 'fridge. She proceeded to order one of everything from the menu and pay for it on her credit card.

30 minutes later a van appeared to deliver the order. Stacking everything on the counters of the kitchen she announced through the house intercom (which was routed into the GR) that food had arrived.

Not one minute later Vegeta appeared. Sniffing appreciatively he proceeded to consume to his hearts content. Eating anything he could get his hands on.

Sitting across the table she could only marvel about the amount of food he was consuming, while she ate her small portion of beef and broccoli.

Finishing light years ahead of him she resigned herself to fixing the GR while he was eating.

Maybe it would keep him off her back if she got finished before he did.

She was nearly finished with the repairs when the screwdriver slipped out of her hand and she cut her palm on one of the panel's closure latches. It became too much for her. She broke down in tears and great heaving sobs. She folded herself in a little ball against the nearby wall and just cried.

Sometime later Vegeta returned to the GR to find Bulma crying her eyes out piteously.

He had found pity in his heart after Frieza was killed but he could only find disgust; disgust for the reason she was crying. To him this Yamcha human, whom he killed a few years ago, was not worth the shedding or tears. But even that concept was difficult for him to understand.

Vegeta reached down and grabbed Bulma by her arm to haul her to her feet. Bulma didn't hear him coming for the noise she had been making. The surprise broke the spell that her self pity had over her.

Suddenly brought close to Vegeta she threw her arms around his neck, only made possible because of his surprise that she would do such a thing. She sobbed onto his bare shoulder. A confused Vegeta could only stand there. He knew he could only stand this for a few moments more before he lost patience with her, but then it changed. She had completely stopped sobbing and she was gently licking her salty tears off his neck and shoulders. As the first feelings of desire for the woman he squashed it.

Pushing her away from him almost savagely she stumbled and went down to her knees.

"You, filth! How dare you touch me with the stench of that dog still hanging on you? I can smell where he's touched you. You're disgusting and I don't have time for you."

She remembered that Yamcha had touched her and jumped up from the floor to confront him.

"I disgust you? How many millions of lives have you destroyed? You're a cold blooded monster, 2nd only to Frieza."

If it was possible for his permanent scowl to deepen it did. A strange light came into his eyes as he advanced on her. He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up until she dangled from his outstretched arm. His other hand was clenched and now beams of light were escaping from between his fingers. He brought his fist up to her face for her to see. The light in his eyes were now recognizable as blood lust: the total willingness to kill. She saw it the 1st time he came to Chikyuu.

He jerked Bulma to him, putting them eye to eye.

"You are beneath my notice."

He flung her out the door of the GR without another thought.

Laying, stunned, on the ground she let the impact of the moment sink into her mind. She heard the GR door slam shut. She lay there for a moment longer before getting to her feet and heading to her lab. It was time to make some changes.


	4. Pride and Purity

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or its characters.

CH4 PRIDE AND PURITY

Bulma delivered another, blinding series of kicks and punches to the new robot she created. It converted the energy she expended through her punching and kicking and used it to become a more challenging sparring partner.

Not that it would have mattered. She had wished for all of the fighting knowledge that ever existed. She had things in her mind that she had yet to comprehend. For a genius of her caliber that was saying something.

Along with that knowledge came the knowledge of ki attacks: firing life energy at your opponents. Her next challenge would be to create them. She also had the knowledge of how to fly like the other Z fighters. She just had to learn to focus the energy. A feat she knew she could accomplish due to her already prodigious focusing ability.

She had also wished to be a Saiyan. She had a sleek but highly sensitive blue tail that she was actually proud of. She understood why Vegeta kept it wrapped around his waist before Yajirobi cut it off. She merely bumped it against a chair for her to loose all train of thought and double over in pain. She had cradled her poor tail, sitting on the floor, until it no longer hurt.

While Bulma practiced she thought about what she was going to do with her last wish. She thought about how easy it was to get the magic word from Dende: all she had to do was ask. His pure heart couldn't think of a reason not to give Bulma the magic word seeing as how she was a friend and the entire population of Namek was living at her compound.

She had worked out the problem of the black sky also. She just make her wished at night.

She stopped for a moment and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She was starting to feel a little claustrophobic in this empty lab she was training in. She thought about commandeering the GR for a while but that might make Vegeta angry or suspicious or both. She wanted to wait and work out the knowledge and gain some proficiency before she lets anyone know.

Unfortunately for her someone already had an idea. Vegeta knew her power signature to be a barest minimum, as were any one else not trained in the martial arts. When she returned home after making her wishes he had noticed her increased power. He meant to find out why.

Losing his train of thought for a moment he shot a ball of ki and destroyed part of the center console. His was as good a time as any to confront her.

He followed her ki into the series of labs he knew to be under the living quarters of the Briefs family. As he followed he noticed it was rising sharply again.

Quickening his pace he found the door to the lab in which she was contained. As he reached for the door he heard an explosion that sounded a lot like a ki blast. Since when did she use ki?

Opening the door without knocking he witnessed a sight he never though he'd see. In the very center of the lab was Bulma floating above the floor about to deliver another ki blast to a robot looking like it was about to overload.

"What is the meaning of this?" Vegeta demanded.

An annoyed Bulma let the ki she was about to expel reabsorb and let herself touch down to the floor. She was glad her tail was wrapped around her waist and was hidden under a big sweatshirt.

Without saying a word she brushed by him through the door and started away from him. Faster than her untrained eyes could see, he zipped up behind her and grabbed her arm and pulled her against him. A thrill of fear raced down her spine.

"I asked you a question, Woman." he said looking into her eyes. Then he lifted his chin and looked like he was sniffing. His eyes went wide and he took a step back; dropping her arm.

He knew!

Bolting away. The only sound in her ears were her own footfalls. Then she remembered she could fly. Lifting off the floor she propelled herself down the hall to the stairs. Risking a look over her shoulder she saw him still only standing there staring at her with the first non-scowl expression he'd ever shown her.

She flew up the stairs into the main house and from there up to her room, closing the door behind her. She leaned back against the door with a sigh.

Suddenly feeling how sweaty and dirty she was she pulled off her oversized sweatshirt and tossed it into a corner. She leaned back against the door and put her hand over her heart and felt how fast it was racing.

"I can smell you, Woman."

Bulma jumped away from the door, to late, realizing that she hadn't locked it. She jumped back to the door and tried to lock it but he'd already opened it to confront her. She could see what he was focused on: her tail. It had unraveled itself and was twitching agitatedly behind her.

With a calm that belied his true emotion he closed the door and this time locked it. Bulma's blood ran cold. She had no idea what he meant to do but she had a feeling it wouldn't be good.

Through the sheer force of his intimidation he started to back her up. She kept going until her back met the wall behind her.

Placing one hand on each side of her head effectively cut off any routes of escape. Not that it mattered he could catch her no matter what right now. For the first time since returning from Namek she was afraid for her life and because of the same Saiyan.

He started openly smelling her skin and hair. He moves his hand from the wall to turn her head to the side. Next thing she knew he had licked a path from her ear to her chin. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that he was reacting strongly to her new Saiyan pheromones. It was something that he hadn't had access to since becoming an adult. He seemed to be having a very primal reaction to it.

Bulma brought her forearm up to try warding him off. She and Yamcha had never done anything like this. The feelings he was causing in her were new.

"I thought I was beneath your notice, Vegeta?"

"You've changed." he said simply.

Grabbing her by her arms he sent her sailing through the air, some 20 feet, to land on her bed.

He was atop her in a flash and doing wicked things to her. His hands seemed to be everywhere at once. Slowly her panic was being replaced with something else. Something more basic. His lips and teeth were making tiny nips and kisses along her jaw, neck and shoulders. She began to feel a tingling warmth down in her nether-region. She began to understand what he wanted. He panic returned swiftly as she tried to fight him off.

"Please, not like this!"

Vegeta stopped his assault for a moment. "Explain yourself, Woman."

A few heartbeats passed. "I'm a virgin!"

"You were with that bastard for years and you mean to tell me that you never mated?"

"We were never together like that. I am saving my virginity for the man I intend to marry."

"You mean to whom you will be spending your life with as mate?"

"Yes." Bulma turned her face away as a tear leaked out of the corner of her eye. She failed to see the look of triumph on his face.

Unaware of Bulma's despair over finding out what a lowlife Yamcha was he pressed on with his ministrations.

Again Bulma cried out "Not like this, please!"

"You said you were saving your virginity for your permanent mate. I will now make you my permanent mate. Through you I will sire pure blood Saiyans."

"Is that all I am to you? It that's it then I don't want it. Get off me!"

Bulma started struggling in earnest. For all her struggles he might as well have been made of stone.

"You are not permitted to fight your mate!"

Suddenly her whole body felt like lead. She could barely move a muscle. She turned her head and saw why: he had grabbed her tail. With his other hand he grabbed the front of her sports bra and ripped it clean off her body, leaving her breasts exposed to his increasingly hungry gaze,

Unable to struggle she was forced to accept what his hands and mouth were doing to her. Soon she didn't need to be forced. Her whole body seemed to be buzzing with a light electrical current. Her body had taken over her mind. She didn't even notice when he let go of her tail and was finishing her unclothing. In the next moment he had undressed himself and poised himself at her virginal threshold.

Occupying her mouth with his he gently pushed inside until he met the proof of her virginity. She gasped against his lips. In Vegeta's mind he thanked the gods for mating him to a woman of pride and purity.

Stopping for a moment he looked into her eyes. He wanted to make sure she understood what was about to happen. He was relieved to see that she did.

Pushing through her virginal barrier he saw her pain reflected in her beautiful eyes. He gently stroked her forehead in a gesture of comfort. He held still to allow her to adjust to his equipment.

Bulma looked up into his eyes she saw something that no one else would ever see: Vegeta was completely enraptured. His eyes were wide and sparkling. His forehead was smooth and not a trace of his trademark scowl remained. His jaw which was usually clenched was slack and lips were set in a sweet smile.

Bulma gasped when Vegeta began to move within her. Somehow he had sensed when her pain had completely subsided. He dipped his head and caught her lips with his own. Bulma was surprised to taste the metallic taste of blood and realized Vegeta's tongue was bleeding freely. In the midst of their kissing Bulma's tongue chased Vegeta's into his mouth and felt Vegeta clamp sown on her tongue with his teeth until she was sure she was bleeding. Then he continued by sucking strongly on her tongue. He let go abruptly and looked back into her eyes.

"Thus we are mated."

He heard her moan softly as he gathered her to him more firmly to move them both to climax. Disengaging himself he lay on his side and brought Bulma close to his chest. She could feel his heartbeat against her back.

Going over all that had happened that day she dropped off to sleep.


	5. Forced Proximity

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or its characters

CH.5 FORCED PROXIMITY

Bulma awoke slowly. She slowly became aware of a powerful heartbeat against her back and how heavy and sore her muscles were. She could taste the staleness of morning and what she knew to be the metallic tang of both of their blood.

Suddenly the nights activities came rushing back through her mind like a flood. She realized she could remember every moment of yesterday with painful clarity.

She moaned deep in her throat and turned her head to look over her shoulder. Staring back at her was Vegeta. Only then did she realize he still had his arms wrapped around her. Bulma tried to sit up but Vegeta wouldn't budge.

"Where do you think you are going, Woman?"

"I need a bath. By the way, you have blood oh your chin."

Moving his arm to wipe his chin to look for blood gave her the opportunity to get up. She turned to see Vegeta looking with an odd expression at his hand. Then she followed his gaze to the place where she had been laying. There, on the bed, was a rather large splotch of dried blood.

He looked up at Bulma with his trademark scowl and smirk back in place and said," my virgin princess."

Feeling disgusted, she turned and went into the bathroom where she filled her huge tub with hot ,scented, bubbly water. She slid in with the water with a groan. Her entire body hurt. She turned on the heated Jacuzzi setting and leaned back to soak. She leaned back and went over everything that creature did to her in the next room. She realized with a jolt that she was the same kind of creature now.

How could this have happened? A few days ago he had outright spurned her, then he's literally crawling over her. And what about her lost virginity? She almost felt like it had been taken from her against her will.

She relaxed and stopped thinking about it. She let the water jets massage her aching body. Just as she was almost completely relaxed she started getting this crazy urge. Some weird instinct was telling her to go find Vegeta.

This is stupid: she thought. Ill bet if I ever went near him again he'd toss me aside like he did the day I found out Yamcha was cheating on me. He's so moody.

No matter how she tried to argue with herself the crazy urge became stronger. She was about to crawl out of her own skin when she felt the bath water surge against her chest. She opened her eyes to find Vegeta had joined her in the bath.

The look on his face answered the question she was bout to form: he was feeling the same thing as she.

He reached out to her and pulled her sideways into his lap and cradled her head on his shoulder.

"We are mated now: permanently bonded. Fighting certain instincts now will only cause us pain, Woman."

Bulma was silent for a long beat. "Why did you do that to me last night?"

"That too was instinct."

Bulma looked up in time to see him grimace. "I don't love you."

Vegeta nodded. "Nor do I love you. Affection for one another will undoubtedly develop during this period of forced proximity."

"Forced proximity? For how long?"

"There is no telling. It differs from mated pair to mated pair."

She was forced to accept that as she realized that the instincts to find Vegeta was indeed gone.

"As I am your mate and you are my responsibility I should train you. Unfortunately there will not be enough time, between now and when the androids appear, to train you and achieve my goal of attaining the level of Super Saiyan."

Bulma's mind raced for a few moments. "What if there was time to do both?"

"If such were possible then your training would be my mating gift to you."

Mating gift, huh: she thought.

"I think I have a mating gift you would appreciate." she said; her thoughts turning toward her last wish on the Dragonballs. "You'll have to go with me though."

She felt him nod. They spent the rest of their time in the tub in silence. Seemingly because they were both unwilling to ruin this seemingly idyllic time with acidic words.

-

Vegeta watched his new mate amidst banks of machines. She was wearing a white lab coat over her clothes. Though her blue tail peeked out from underneath. In the very center of the room was a contraption containing 7 gleaming Dragonballs. Each Dragonball was enclosed in a metal cage attached to a round metal platform, covered with switches, lights, and dials.

"What is it?" he asked finally.

"The metal surrounding each Dragonball is a special alloy that absorbs energy and becomes stronger. Hopefully these cages will stop the Dragonballs from flying all over the globe. That way we won't have to look for them next time. The instruments attached to each cage measure how much force and velocity each Dragonball has, that way if this doesn't work we'll know which direction each one went and hopefully I can build something stronger next time."

Vegeta only grunted. He wasn't really listening to his mate's speech. He was starring at the gleaming Dragonballs. Before he came to Chikyuu the thought of possessing them and using the consumed his every waking moment and some of his sleeping moments as well. This was his mate's mating present to him?

Bulma looked down at her watch: 9:28 p.m. "It's dark enough now. I'll need your help to move this outside."

Vegeta moved the contraption through a sliding door that Bulma moved to open. He pushed it a small distance away form the building. Bulma reached in her pocked and pulled out a piece of paper. As he wondered what was written on it she began to read. He instantly recognized it as Namekian. Her pitch rose as she spoke. He hair on the back of his neck began to twitch.

The Dragonballs were glowing.

Suddenly he heard a booming voice from above him. "Are you ready for your 3rd wish?"

"Yes, I am."

"Well hurry up. I don't have all day."

Bulma again started speaking Namekian.

"This wish I will grant."

Vegeta started feeling funny. His energy level was rising but he wasn't controlling it. Raising his voice to the sky he felt his power skyrocket. He felt as if he were reaching a threshold. Then he stepped over it. A golden glow formed around him. He gad never felt to powerful. He turned to his mate. She had a triumphant look in her eyes that he wished to bask in. He walked toward her and looked into her eyes. He saw the truth reflected there. He was a Super Saiyan.


	6. The Hyperbolic Time Chamber

DISCLAIMER: I DONT OWN DBZ OR ITS CHARACTERS

CH.6 HYPERBOLIC TIME CHAMBER

Goku and Gohan sped toward Kami's lookout. They were sensing a massive new power. It had appeared about an hour ago. They were there in mere minutes. Landing and powering down they saw Mr. Popo. He waved and came towards them. He didn't seem in the least worried.

"Hi, Mr. Popo," Gohan said. "We were wondering if you could help us."

"I'll help you any way I can, Gohan, Goku," Mr Popo answered.

"We both felt a powerful new ki a little while ago, from here, and we were wondering if everything was alright," Goku said.

"Oh I understand now. That new ki was Bulma. She was with Vegeta. It seemed very strange to me that he would be here, but she seemed to be the one to lead him. They entered the Hyperbolic Time Chamber two days ago. Bulma came out very strong, but Vegeta was a Super Saiyan when he went in," Popo explained. "They are in the dining hall. I think you should see them."

He turned and walked toward the dining hall as if he knew they would follow. Gohan and Goku only exchanged looks before following. A moment later they entered the dining hall. Before them was a table piled high with any and all kinds of food they could think of. The only sounds were the clinking of silverware against stoneware, hungry grunts, and then the twin growlings coming from Gohan and Goku.

"Wow, that's a lot of food. Hey, I'm hungry," Goku said as he approached the table. He walked to the other side and stopped short at the sight that greeted him: Bulma and Vegeta were sitting side by side stuffing their faces… and Bulma had a tail.

Vegeta leaned back from behing Bulma. "If I were you, Kakarot, I would take my eyes of my mate's tail."

"YOUR MATE?" Goku and Gohan yelled together.

"Yes. As Prince of the Saiyan Race I thought it best to sire pure blood Saiyans. Bulma is with child. Until the child's birth she will need twice as much food to support them both."

"You're a Saiyan now, huh, Bulma?" Goku asked. "You used the dragonballs didn't you?"

"Yeah, and I invented a machine to hold on to them so when they become dragonballs again we won't have to go all over the world looking for them," Bulma said.

"Wow that's great," Goku said as he made himself comfortable and started shoveling. "So when is the baby due?"

"In about 6 months. I don't know anything about Saiyan births so I'm going to have to stay close to home for a while and listen to my body very closely," Bulma said between forkfulls of food. "I want my mother to be close to me when I give birth. It was lucky Vegeta was able to train me before we needed to come out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

"You trained her, "Gohan asked? All he got was a grunt in return.

Bulma was the first to finish and push away from the table. Unobtrusively Vegeta watched her go. She hadn't eaten all she should have. He knew she would be hungry later. Her tail swung slightly with the movement of her hips. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Goku watching the same thing. He loudly cleared his throat and Goku returned to the thing he was second best at.

Bulma walked as far as she could from the dining hall. She knew from her bond that Vegeta wasn't following her. He had assured her after thier forced proximity was over that she meant more to him than a womb in a similar species. Now she wasn't so sure. What the hell were those feelings about when she felt Goku approaching? Would she have to deal with that every time she saw him now? It had to be that Goku was another Saiyan. She was very uncomfortable about the new feelings. Goku was like a brother to her. She knew that if Goku had reacted to her the way Vegeta had, she would be in serious trouble.

_But think of the children_.

Where the hell did that come from? Now she is thinking of Goku's and her children? She shuddered at the thought and suddenly felt guilty. She had only recently begun to have strong feelings for Vegeta. That thought seemed unfaithful somehow and she hadn't done anything more than think it.

She realized that she didn't know how Vegeta felt about her. Was it still only instinct that brought him to her?

_I can't think of that now._

The only thing that had mattered in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was to train her to fight the androids. Then when she became pregnant it had turned to training her to protect their offspring. The harder she wanted to train the more he wanted her to slow down. The more he wanted her to sit down and eat. It got to the point where he was preparing the food and almost forcing it down her throat. She had gone from training partner to "Womb That Must Be Fed". She knew he had felt her resentment. She still felt it. She knew the only way she was going to protect her child was to fight and destroy the Androids. If she let Vegeta have his way she would never see the Androids.

As it was he who had forbidden her to training for the rest of her pregnancy, she was going to lose out on 6 months of training. The answer came suddenly. She sought out Mr. Popo. Vegeta felt a jolt of suprise at her sudden excitement. She was up to something. He stopped eating all together when he felt her fly away.

Vegeta gave Goku and Gohan the courtesy of stepping outside the dining hall before powering up to follow his wayward bride.


	7. Betrayal

**Chapter 7: Betrayal**

DISCLAIMER: I DONT OWN DBZ OR ITS CHARACTERS

CH.7 BETRAYAL

Vegeta followed her ki signature easily to her family's compound. He understood her need to go home. What he didn't understand was why she had gone to the on site hospital. He had told her the child and she was completely healthy.

He flew in a window closest to where he knew her to be. He landed and traced her through the building now sensing her pheromones. This was the first time since the forced proximity had worn off that he wished that is was still a factor. If he could get away with it he would have her chained down until she gave birth. Unfortunately, that was totally irrational and he knew she would never agree to it.

She was far too strong now to be held down with anything to flimsy now. He realized she was moving around the building.

He was getting tired of this. He knew she knew he was there and she was avoiding him on purpose.

Now on the third floor he flew out the window to see Bulma running across the courtyard to her home with a doctor in tow. He jetted quickly and landed just in front of her.

"What do you think you are doing, Woman?" She came just short of running into him.

"I'm gonna do what I have to. I'm not only gonna make sure our child survives the Androids but I'm gonna make sure the world does too." She continued around Vegeta toward the house.

Vegeta shot a dark scowl at the doctor to make him drop his eyes immediately in fear. He followed them both inside the house to find both her parents were waiting for them. Bunny was uncharacteristically quiet. Her father was wearing a white lab coat. He notices absentmindedly that one of his pockets was blinking.

"I'm only going to ask you one more time, Bulma. What are you doing?" She had just embraced her father when she turned to face him. She couldn't remember the last time he had called her by her name.

"I've decided to take my mother and a doctor and give birth in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber." Vegeta was silent for a moment. Bulma could feel his rage. She knew he wouldn't like the idea. Unfortunately she had already made up her mind. Bulma put her hands behind her back and walked slowly to stand directly in front of him.

"I can't afford to waste 6 months when I could be training. If I use the HTC I will be back tomorrow with our son."

Vegeta didn't know how he could control his anger the way he was. He could feel it about to explode. He had to make his mate understand her place. He lifted his hands, which were shaking despite him, and placed them on he shoulders.

"I can't afford to let you stay on this planet. Your father will build a space ship. I will take you to a planet of my choosing and when I destroy the androids I will send for you."

Bulma couldn't believe her ears. She was going to be left behind again.

_Over my dead body_.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta, but I can't let you do that." Faster than human eyes could see, Bulma hand closed something hard around Vegeta's wrist. He staggered back in shock. He looked to her father and realized the pocket was no longer blinking. He looked down at his left wrist. A gold tone cuff was sealed around his wrist. He could feel the energy draining from his body. It was ringed by tiny multicolored lights.

She had betrayed him.

Murderous onyx eyes met determined aqua eyes.

"Take it off, Woman."

She could sense the threat in his growled order.

"I won't be left behind anymore." She turned her head to look over her shoulder at her mother and doctor. "Are we ready to go?" "I still need equipment for the labor." Vegeta turned his murderous gaze on the doctor who had wisely kept his eyes on the floor. "Then let's get what we need and go." She looked him in the eye for another moment before walking past him.

He reached out and tried to grab her arm. For all the strength he was left his hand might as well have not touched her at all. She stopped and spoke without looking behind her.

"Vegeta, I will be back tomorrow with our son. When I return I will take the cuff off. I wish this hadn't been necessary. I wish you could've trusted me to do what was right. But it turns out I was just being used."

Vegeta let her and her small entourage pass. He could feel her pain and betrayal.

How could his betrayal be greater than her betrayal?

Somehow it was.

He could sense her pain and a dimming in the strength of their bond. It felt like a fist around his heart.

Was this what she was feeling?

He could wait until tomorrow.

One day.

She had never lied to him. She had given her word. He tested the bounds of the dampener and found he had barely enough ki to fly.


	8. My Son

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN DBZ OR ITS CHARACTERS

CH8: MY SON

Bulma could feel Vegeta long before she saw him.

As she left the HTC she saw that he's had enough ki to make it to Kami's Lookout. She wasn't really surprised.

He was sitting under a tree meditating, but she knew wherever he was while meditating he was completely aware of her.

She shifted her newborn onto just one arm and reached out to him. She pressed hidden catch on the bracelet and it fell away from his wrist. His eyes flew open in surprise at the return of his power.

"Were you out here all night?" she asked.

"My son?"

She sighed and kneeled down in front of him. She held the boy out to him as if her were an offering.

"Your son."

Vegeta stared at the tiny bundle. All that showed was the tiny face and one tiny lock of purple hair. Vegeta had a sudden moment of painful clarity. Someday very soon he would be stronger than he himself. He was conflicted. He wanted to be the most powerful being in the universe and was a little jealous. Then again: this was his heir. He would be proud of his son.

Bulma couldn't watch the capsule take off with her son aboard. She didn't even know where it was going. She only knew that her father and mother would keep the infant safe; safer than she could.

She had bonded very strongly with the baby, whom she named Trunks in the family tradition. He was a healthy birth weight and was growing by leaps and bounds on the special formula her father invented just for Trunks. It insured not only his physical growth but also his mental growth. He was the next gen. genius of Capsule Corp.

At the moment she was in her lab. The doors were bolted (as if that mattered). She was tinkering with contraptions that she hadn't given any though to in a long while. It was to keep her mind off of Trunks. Even with her mind focused on her work, she was painfully aware of Vegeta.

He was deeply disturbed. He would never admit to it though. He was in the GR, working himself into a froth. He seemed to be pushing himself even harder because of the bracelet. It was almost like he was compensating for the training he missed while she was away. That wasn't it though. She disturbed him. He expected in his life to feel pain and betrayal but after he'd felt it coming from his mate it made him ashamed. He didn't like that feeling at all.

Another reason he was disturbed was that she had been gone from him, in actuality, for 6 months. When she had come out she had a different smell. Her breasts were understandably fuller. It had taken every ounce of will power he had not to pounce on her and remind her who her mate was. He had missed her. This was the first time they had slept apart since they were mated.

He landed and realized he was completely aroused. He needed a good lay. He wasn't even going to shower either. She'd smell right when he was done with her. That brought a smirk to his face. He set off after her.


	9. A Rock and A Hard Place

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN DBZ OR ITS CHARACTERS

CH.9 A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Bulma and Vegeta lay on the floor, heedless of the cold linoleum beneath them. Both were sated and exhausted. Bulma had dozed off just a moment before. He was right. She did smell better. His mind was in a state of confusion. Bulma had said something that in all his life he had no recollection of anyone saying to him: I love you.

She had said it at the moment of her completion. She hadn't looked at him since. She sensed her disappointment but he also sensed that she had squashed it for his sake. Now he sensed a new determination.

They needed to bathe.

He stood up and scooped her up in his arms. She came awake and wrapped her arms around his neck. He took them both through the house completely nude, (the house is empty) then into the shower for another bout of lovemaking. This time Bulma kept her own counsel.

They tumbled into bed. Both were asleep in moments.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bulma sat strait up in bed. She was covered in sweat. In the next moment she realized that what she had experienced was a dream. She sighed in relief. She needed to see Goku. She turned to Vegeta. He was still sleeping. What time is it?

It was 4:45 am. Vegeta wakes up in 15 minutes…without an alarm clock.

She got out of bed and as quickly as possible she dressed and flew out the window toward the Son home.

It didn't take long. She touched down outside the door. She knocked and Chi Chi opened the door.

"Hi, Chi Chi, is Goku home?"

"No, he's out fishing again," she said in an exasperated voice. Bulma could understand. When Goku wasn't fightning insurmountable odds he was bringing home gigantic fish for Chi Chi to cook. "By the way, how did you get here? I don't see your car."

"Uh, I flew."

"You flew?

"Yeah, I used the dragonballs to make myself a saiyan so I can help with the androids."

Chi Chi was silent for a few moments. She had a look on her face that Bulma didn't know how to interpret. Then it came to her. She was jealous.

"Is Gohan with him?"

"No, he's here doing schoolwork." She stepped out of the way and revealed an extremely bored Gohan sitting at a desk.

"Hi, Gohan."

"Hi, Bulma," Gohan said with an unmistakable note of boredom.

"I'll see you guys later. I have to talk to Goku right away."

Chi Chi sighed. "Ok, we'll see you later." The door closed.

Bulma reached out with her mind. She felt Goku not far away.

She flew off in his direction. She landed next to a lake. She could feel him nearby. He must be under the water. His head broke the surface. He didn't have a fish over his head so he must not have had any luck.

"Goku, I have to speak to you."

Goku didn't say a word. He pulled himself out of the water and came toward her. She realized that he wasn't smiling. He wasn't wearing a shirt either. There was something about his eyes. She had never seen anything like it before. It was animal, feral. Then she was feeling something strange too. It momentarily blocked everything out but him. She had the oddest urge to run her hands over his bulging pects. As he reached her she jerked herself out of some kind of trance his nearness was causing. Every sense was at its peak.

_By Kami, he smelled good. Like warm flesh and fresh water._

She put her hands up to ward him off when she realized that he wasn't stopping. He took both of her upper arms in his hands.

"I had a terrible dream about you. You sacrificed yourself for us but it didn't work. It was some kind of monster and it came back."

She couldn't tell if he'd even heard her or not.

"Goku, what's wrong with you?"

"You smell good, Bulma."

The way he said her name sent shivers down her spine. She'd never heard him speak like this before. She was watching his saiyan instincts take over.

His hands slid down her arms.

_When did my hands end up on his chest?_

She could almost lose herself.

_Is that what just happened to him?_

She tried to back up. She couldn't break free of the iron bands that were his hands. Then he was pushing her back.

"Goku, what are you doing?"

Her back came up against a boulder and she was ashamed to think of it but she was literally between a rock and a hard place… or thing … or man.

_Kami, he smells good!!! _

He leaned into her. His scent enveloped her and she was suddenly so aroused that it blocked out everything else but him. Her eyes were open but she was blind. He nuzzled her neck then worked his way up from her shoulder to her jaw line with tiny biting kisses that raised gooseflesh.

_Something is wrong_.

_Vegeta!!!_

The world tilted on its side as Vegeta barreled into Goku from the side. She hit the ground and the world came crashing back to her. Just off to her left Vegeta was straddling Goku and was beating him into the grass. Goku was letting him. He wasn't even trying to block the blows.

_He's killing him!_

"Vegeta, stop, please!!" Bulma screamed.

He actually stopped and turned to her. His face was a mask of fury.

"No one touches my mate," he growled.


	10. Must Be Stronger

CH.10 MUST BE STRONGER

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN DBZ OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS

Bulma paced the room. Her tail twitched back and forth as if it had a life of its own.

_How did I let things get out of control? I'm always in control. Vegeta's taken off on me. _

_Chi Chi isn't speaking to me_

Just then she heard an explosion. She leaped to the office in her room and turned on the closed circuit program on her computer.

She sagged in to her computer chair with relief. It was only Vegeta destroying some robots in the GR. As she watched he launched himself into a punishing routine. The gravity was set dangerously high. Just watching him she could feel his muscles strain.

The she realized… he was trying to hurt himself. She remembered from Namek that when a Saiyan is injured and then heals he is stronger than before he was injured.

_Is that what he's trying to do?_

Just then he looked from across the room into the camera lens. She had the uneasy feeling that he knew she was watching him.

Then it happened. With a burst of power he became a Super Saiyan. For a moment his aura was too powerful and bucked the smooth rounded walls outward only to crumble inward because of the high gravity. Bulma watched helplessly as massive chunks fell inward. She was spared the sight of Vegeta being buried because the first few pieces to land kicked up so much dust that he was completely occluded.

She let a blood curdling scream leave her throat as she left her suite of rooms, running down the stairs and out to where the GR had stood.

_By Kami, I can't feel him_. she thought. not knowing that her fear was blocking him out.

As she stumbled through the rubble now with her tears mixing with dust making muddy tears run down her face she found Vegeta's arm sticking out from beneath a curved wall panel.

She threw the piece off of him and sat him up slightly, cradling him against her. If he hadn't opened his eyes and looked hat her she would have thought he was dead. Suddenly she was so angry with him

"Is this what you wanted? To scare me nearly to death and nearly kill yourself?"

He considered this for a moment then gathering some strength and spoke

"I must get stronger than Kakarrot"

Bulma was confused. "But you're a Super Saiyan. Isn't that what you wanted? You beat the shit out of him for what nearly happened. Isn't that want you wanted too?"

That last statement earned her a dark look

"Kakarrot allowed me to do that He knew he was in error he took his punishment like the Saiyan he should have been but in a fair fight he is still stronger, more powerful. I am the

prince of all Saiyans. I should be stronger than that low class clown."

The he passed out from the strain.

By now the implosion of the GR had brought staff from the surroundings buildings, including the medical staff. Employees with a stretcher came and carried Vegeta away from her. She was told they would take excellent care of him. She sat there for a few more moments feeling numb and guilty. Then she picked herself up out of the rubble and followed the path her mate had taken to the infirmirary.

She waited inside the room Vegeta would recover in. She shook herself from her stupor and returned home for a shower and change of clothes. Vegeta was still being treated and cleaned up when she got back. She sat at the desk nest to the bed and laid her head on her arms. She was suddenly so weary. She dozed off moments before Vegeta was brought in. The doctor was going to wake her up to let her know how he was doing but he didn't have the heart to wake her.

A short while later it was Vegeta who woke first. He turned his head to stare incredulously at the woman sitting asleep at the desk next to him. Seeing her there next to him when she could have been anywhere else doing anything else with anyone else brought a feeling of warmth to his cold heart and all he could do was to stare at his beautiful mate.

Bulma came awake with a jerk. She had had a nightmare. She jumped up and checked on Vegeta who had gone back to sleep wearing a nasal canula. Then she had a brilliant idea…She would have a new GR ready for him when he was well enough to train again.

She left the room after giving Vegeta a parting kiss on the forehead. She worked all night and with the coming dawn a new GR stood ready.


	11. Rebound

CH.11 REBOUND

DISCLAIMER:I DON'T OWN DBZ OR ITS CHARACTERS

Bulma awoke in her bed. The day before seemed dreamlike and unreal. She looked over to the clock on her bedside table and realized that she had slept the day almost completely away. It was almost 3pm.

She pulled her achy body out of bed and into a hot shower. She soaked herself under the hot sprays until most of the pain from the day before was gone. Then she realized that the only thing that will get rid of the rest of the stiffness would be to work it out training.

Vegeta wouldn't be ready to use the GR for a few days at least. She entered the GR to be greeted by a terrible sight. Vegeta was out of bed and training.

"Are you trying to kill yourself, you baka?"

Vegeta ignored her. He was standing in the new GR with his bandages hanging off him like a macabre fighting mummy.

"I'm not staying here to watch you kill yourself," she hissed from just behind him.

Not waiting to see if that made any difference to him she turned and walked out of the

GR. Just outside was Chi Chi.

Bulma was confused. Chi Chi was supposed to be angry with her over what happened to her and Goku.

When Chi Chi saw her she ran up and threw her arms around Bulma's shoulders.

"I didn't know where else to go. Goku is sick and I remembered that purple haired boy said that he was supposed to get sick. You said you would keep the medicine from the future here."

Bulma's heart sank. She was afraid this would happen just as the kid had predicted. The kid said he would be all right with the antidote he had brought from the alternate future.

Goku couldn't die now. The world needed him to live.

Taking Chi Chi's hand she led her friend into the house and into her own room. Leaving her at the door she ran into the bathroom and got the future medicine from her medicine cabinet. First thing she did was hand it to her friend.

Chi Chi gave her a grateful look and turned to go.

"Wait, Chi Chi, how did you get over here?"

"I ran," she said.

"You ran? Why did't you ask Krillin or Gohan or Trunks even to fly you over?"

"I panicked!"

"I'll take you home then I can make sure Goku is going to be alright,'

They walked to the car together.

"Where do you think you are going?" said an angry, gravely voice behind her.

She turned to see Vegeta now without his bandages. His arms were crossed and he was standing in a very "Vegeta" stance. He had a dangerous dark look in his eyes she didn't like. It was downright feral.

"Goku is sick. I'm taking Chi Chi home so she can give him the medicine that Mirai Trunks gave me."

"Wrong. You are staying right here where you belong."

"No, I'll be back when Goku is out of danger."

"Huh, we'll see," he said turning away from her.

All she could do was stare at him as he walked away. She wanted to call to him but her pride prevented it.

At Chi Chi's home it was worse than she thought. Goku was gravely ill. Krillin and Piccolo were there watching over him while Chi Chi was away. They both looked uncomfortable. She realized that it must be because of what happened between herself and Goku. Even now Goku still bore some of the bruises that Vegeta gave him.

He lay on a pallet on the floor curled up on his side clutching his chest. It was definitely the heart malady that Mirai Trunks had warned them about. Without the medicine she had been keeping he would have certainly died.

Chi Chi did the honors. She made sure at least one tablet went down his throat. Everyone sat back to observe him. A few hours passed and there was no improvement at all.

By now Bulma was at her wits end. She couldn't even bring herself to sit down in her old friend's house. Then suddenly the walls seemed to be closing in on her and she ran out the door.

She ran right past the car and everything in it. Chi Chi lived on acres and acres

of wilderness. It was toward this wilderness she ran. She put everything into it. All her fear and shame, her love and hate. She just ran. She ran until her lungs were about to burst and she had the worst stitch in her side she had ever known.

She caught her breath for a moment. Then she heard something. She turned around. She opened herself up to nearby ki signatures but felt next to nothing.

She walked a few more yards and came across a swiftly moving river. She was out in the middle of nowhere right? She stripped down to nothing and dove into the river. She didn't bother to fight the current. She just let it carry her along. The water was icy cold and just before she became too cold she hauled herself out of the water. She lay panting on the bank.

Everything was going wrong now. Vegeta was angry with her. Her other friends were giving her weird looks.

Just wait you guys. Wait till you see me fighting. Then I'll definitely get funny looks then.

She sat up. It was definitely time to find her clothes. She made the walk back up the river to where her clothes had been left.

They were gone.

Someone was there. She could feel someone's ki. It was being suppressed. She couldn't figure out who it was. Then she heard a frightening whisper. It was only one word.

"RUN"

She didn't need another warning. She turned and ran along the river. She was really and truly terrified. Then she realized it was an irrational fear. Hadn't Vegeta been training her to take care of herself? This thought distracted her for a moment and her foot hit an exposed tree root. She hit the ground hard and couldn't move for a momet.

The wind had been knocked out of her. She tried to make the painful journey to her hands and knees but suddenly she was pushed roughly back down on her face.

"What the hell?" Let me up damn it.

"I'll let you up when you deserve it," said an angry voice.

She realized instantly that it was Vegeta.

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up, Woman."

He jumped on top of her. He held her hands above her head with one hand and with the

other hand he moved her damp hair away from her right shoulder. Bending low over her he sank his teeth into the junction of her shoulder and neck.

Bulma howled in pain and tried to buck him off, but it seemed suddenly that she had no energy. Abruptly he got off her and flipped her over roughly.

"Your squirming is making me horny, Woman."

She felt something on one of her wrists.

_Oh, by Kami, no! _He was using her own ki dampening bracelet on her!

She tried to unsnap the bracelet quickly but he caught each wrist in each of his hand and pressed them to the forest floor. With tiny bursts of energy he bound her hands to the ground with glowing horseshoes of ki.

She looked into his eyes. She wanted to plead with him not to hurt her again but she couldn't bring herself to do it. He took his callused hands and roughly ran them up and down her nude form. He made her shiver but only half of it was from fear. She had never seen this side of him before.

In only a few minutes he had her panting and writhing beneath him. She looked up at him, his face was covered in her own blood. Then she wasn't afraid. Even with the dangerous look in his eyes she understood exactly what he wanted.

He was making her his all over again.

This time with violence.

He settled himself between her thighs, grinding her pelvis with his, letting her feel his arousal. Leaning down he put tiny biting nips on both her breasts, making blood well up.

Sipping from these tiny wounds he entered her roughly. He started a punishing rhythm that somehow Bulma wouldn't have changed. He brought her to what seemed like endless climaxes. Then nearing the end Vegeta reached up and broke her ki bounds and pulled her over on top of him. She rode him until she was about to burst. Looking down at him she could see he was just as near to his own completion. Riding him hard she leaned down and sank her own teeth into his shoulder. The sudden burst of blood in her mouth and the resulting groan from Vegeta sent her over and he was there with her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought them both to their sides. There with limbs entwined and covered in each other's blood, they fell asleep.


	12. What Makes a Super Saiyan

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN DRAGONBALL Z OR ITS CHARACTERS

CH.12 WHAT MAKES A SUPER SAIYAN

Bulma raced around the lab. With Goku sick she knew it was time. They were probably here already. A tweak here and there she was getting her work done. Vegeta was leaning against the wall with a bored look on his face. He looked bored until you looked into his eyes; eyes that followed Bulma around the room, whatever she did. Hungry eyes. Since that day in the forest he was never far from her side.

For days now she had alternated between training obsessively and working in her lab. She wanted all loose ends tied.

That wasn't what was eating her though. Her training had progressed as far as it could. She would train until she dropped and still she wasn't progressing. She tried to talk

Vegeta into telling her what was missing but he was uncharacteristically tight lipped about the whole thing. He trained, sure, but now he tells her there is no need. What the hell does that mean?

She thinks of it now and it makes no sense…but does he know or not? She'd wished him a Super Saiyan.

_He doesn't know. _

That thought made her stop dead in his tracks. Vegeta, who had just been examining the floor of her lab, looked up at her. She was turned away from him.

_Goku would know_.

Bulma turned to the door, peeling of her lab coat as she went. She didn't even bother turning the sleeves right. Vegeta pushed away from the wall to follow her. He knew something was up. This move was random even for her.

She walked quickly outside and launched herself toward the Son home.

She landed step away from the door and knocked loudly. The first face she saw was Gohan's. The lines around his eyes told her he was worried. About what?

"Gohan, what's wrong?"

Gohan moved out of the way for her to enter his home. The sight made her stop still.

Goku was laying on a futon mattress on the floor. He was covered to his chin, only his febrile face showed. His brow was creased in pain. Chi-Chi knelt next to him. Her hands covered her mouth in a gesture of helplessness. Near her sitting in a strait backed chair was her future son.

"Where is his medicine," Bulma asked all assembled.

None answered her right away. Trunks looked uncomfortable.

"I gave him the pills I had you keep for me but his virus must be different in this time."

Bulma gave no reply to this. Belatedly she notices Krillin, and Yajirobi. She nodded to them. They nodded back. She wondered if they knew anything about what she had been going through. Maybe if she had the choice she would tell them. She's only known them since she was a little girl, after all.

She sighed. Now was not the time. She knelt next to Chi-Chi and held her. She had since covered her face with her hands and was sobbing quietly into them.

"Goku is a warrior, the strongest I've ever known. He'll pull through. You'll see." Bulma said. Chi-Chi nodded behind her hands but she started to sob harder into her hands.

Bulma only held her closer and rocked.

She turned her head and looked at Goku who was even now fighting like he always does. She could feel his life draining away from him. She let go of Chi to kneel next to Goku.

She gently uncovered his hand and took it in hers.

She remembered when she met him. She was just a little girl playing big girl games. She was only a few years older than him and yet she was already starting to look older. Then she realized that she was a Saiyan now too. She closed her eyes and felt his energy. It was definitely weakening. She knew because of the future drugs the sickness would run its course and he would be fine but it was taking too much of his energy. To much of his life force was being taken to fight the sickness. He needed more.

She raised her ki slightly and imagined hers joining his. She felt his hand grasp hers. It was so hot…she could almost imagine it was scorching her. She felt him accept her gift. When he had enough to live off she disengaged herself completely. She shut herself off like a switch.

She stood up and everyone was looking at her. "You probably don't know what is going on so I'll give you the short version. I found the Dragonballs. I used the Dragonballs. I'm a Saiyan. Vegeta is a Super Saiyan. We, of course, have a son. He and my family have gone into space to wait out the androids."

_Great, eyes like saucers. _She felt like a fish in a tank for a second. She let her tail unravel

itself from around her waist, under her shirt. That's when she got gasps.

"Does that mean you'll be fighting with us?" Krillin asked.

"Yes, I will."

She could have sworn she heard a sigh.

"Now to the reason I'm here. Goku isn't capable of telling me what I need to know so I'll have to ask you, Son."

"Me?" Trunks asked suprised.

"Yes. I have to know what was happening to you, what you were going through, what you were feeling when you first became a Super Saiyan."

Trunks was examining the floor boards. He had a pained look on his face. "If anyone else but you had asked me I would have said no to this. In my time Gohan was training me. I was getting strong. Then he was fighting the androids and he lost his left arm above the elbow. It didn't seem to matter to him. He was my best friend and mentor. We were fighting them together and he knocked me out to save me. He was fighting them on his own and they murdered him. I found him face down in a shallow puddle of water. I was angry, devastated, I blamed him for leaving me, I was angry that even though they did all these terrible things they were still getting away with it and the injustice fueled me. I was going to be the one to beat them."

"And…?"

"And, that was it. I became a Super Saiyan at that moment."

It wasn't exactly what she had in mind. She was hoping he could tell her exactly what it was instead of a list of what it could have been.

She have her future son a hug, gave Chi a squeeze and a wave to the others and she was gone. As the door closed behind her she heard a sarcastic voice from nearby.

"I'm glad your done playing friend to those freaks. I was getting bored."

"Those 'freaks' have been my friends since I was a child. Maybe if you had a heart you'd understand."

"I understand they probably won't be around when the dust settles."

"What the hell does that mean? They won't be but we will. Quit being cryptic, Vegeta, I don't have the energy for it.

"No, you just gave your energy to that third class clown."

"He deeded it more than I did. He'll live now. We need his help with the androids."

"Need? I need nothing. Especially that fool's help."

"You may not but the rest of the world does."

His only answer to that was a rude noise in the back of his throat. She curled her lip at

him and rose into the air away from him. She jetted away from the Son home to her own compound. She entered her own room and changed her clothes. She entered the GR and proceeded to punish herself physically. Since learning to fight with Vegeta she learned that sometimes training helped her clear her head. Training without him feels a little strange but he wouldn't train her anymore since she hit the wall she was up against. She was getting stronger. How much stronger could she get?

She would just have to see.


End file.
